Life raft construction



Sept. 1o, 1963 J. E. BRowNlNG LIFE RAFT CONSTRUCTION 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Nov. 23, 1959 NYM-vpn. AT 1|1|||||1|||r|||| n n n n w l|| n m 1 w un Q n u m Nv @f w n l n 1 bw .w u W .K\ .w". I M -I1! lwllflif MLW 1 l l IN VEN TOR. .fo/,wraMV/Na Sept. 10, 1963 l.1. E. BRowNlNG LIFE RAFT CONSTRUCTION 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Nov. 23, 1959 United States Patent Oiiice Patented Sept. 10, 1963 The present invention relates to a life raft construction, and it particularly relates to an aluminum type life raft.

It is among the objects of the present invention to provide a simple readily constructed type of life raft which is completely carried upon the ship and readily launched and which will reliably support varying members of persons.

Another object is to provide a simple readily constructed lightweight readily stowed life raft which will be lightweight, give reliable and assured flotation with reduced maintenance and increased safety.

Another object is to provide a novel aluminum life raft design, which may be floated from either side, which is simplified for very easy assembly, and which may be readily designed for 15, 20 or 25 person capacity unit.

A further object is to provide a simple readily floated life raft unit which may contain an equipment locker together with suitable lifting pads and shackled for hoisting and/or locks for rowing.

Still further objects and advantages will appear in the more `detailed description set forth below, it being understood, however, that this more detailed description is given byrway of illustration and explanation only and not by way of limitation, since various changes therein may be made by those skilled in the art without departing from the scope and spirit of the present invention.

In accomplishing the above objects, it has been found most satisfactory to provide a iioat which may have a height of about three to four feet, and a length of about eighteen feet, and a width of about seven t`o eight feet based upon a 25 person capacity.

Smaller sizes are used for and 15 person capacity.

Although the dimensions may vary considerably, it has been found most satisfactory to have the overall length of about twelve feet four inches, a beam of about seven feet nine inches, a depth of about three feet one and three-quarters inches, a deck area of about seventyiive square feet, a tank volume of about eighty-two cubic feetand a weight of about '1,090 pounds.

A"The total weight loaded with 25 per-sons may be 5,215 pounds assuming an average weight of 165 pounds per person.`

The construction `desirably is all aluminum for lighter weight, and there are a plurality of rectangular flotation compartments each consisting of an aluminum casing with a foam styrene or Styrofoam interior thus reducing maintenance and increasing safety.

The device is provided with a rectangular frame of aluminum with a plurality of parallel extruded aluminum U-cross section deck members extending parallel to each other and with end bulwarles.

The frame members which extend transversely across the top sides, and bottom may be formed of aluminum channels, and it may be spaced between two and three feet apart over the entire length of the float.

The equipment lockers may be positioned intermediate of the structure with the air tank at the sides of the structure being filled with foam styrene or block of styrene having a maximum density of two pounds per cubic foot.

The sides of the structure may be provided with life 2 lines clipped thereto which will hang down from the side beams or structural members.

Polyethylene life lines may be employed, and these may be connected to clips welded or otherwise permanently connected to side structural members.

The lifting pads consist of loops directly welded onto the -side structures.

The equipment locker is desirably positioned centrally in the arrangement.

With the foregoing and other objects in view, the invention consists of the novel construction, combination and arrangement of parts as hereinafter more specifically described and illustrated in the accompanying drawings,

wherein is shown an embodiment of the invention, but it is to be understood that changes, variations and modications can be resorted to which fall within the scope of the claims hereunto appended.

In the drawings wherein like reference characters denote corresponding parts throughout the several views:

FIG. l is a top plan view of the float preferred aluminum life raft of the present invention partly broken away more clearly to show the interior of construction.

FIG. 2 is a side elevational View of the raft of FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is a transverse sectional view upon the line of 3-3 of FIG. 1.

FIG. 4 is an end elevational view.

Referring to FIGS. 1 to 4, the lift raft is of rectangular sheet metal tubular form with central opening and has a rectangular frame and is composed of the transverse U-cross section aluminum beam members `10 extending transversely across the top thereof, and the corresponding lower cross section beam members 411 extending transversely across the bottom thereof.

These beam members may be of extruded aluminum channels of the type known as 3-1.46 lbs. (6061-T6).

With a 25 person raft, ve of these beams may be provided as shown in FIG. 1.

The ends of the top beams -10 and the lower beams 111 are connected along the oblique welded joints 12 and 13, (see FIGS. 3 and 4), by the vertical extruded frame members 1i4 of the same size and cross section.

At the top and bottom of the frame, there is positioned an upper bulwark stnucture 15 and a lower bulwark structure 16.

The 'bulwark construction consists of two U-cross section channel members 17 extending in the long dimension off the raft (see FIGS. 1 `and 3), and two shorter U-cross section members 18 extending the width of lthe raft.

To the ends yof these members as indicated in FIGS. 1 and 4, there `are positioned the triangular lifting pads 19 which carry the swing loops or shackles 20 (see FIG. 4) so that lifting slings may be attached thereto for lifting the raft.

The U-cross section members 17, 18 and the litfing pads 19 may all be welded directly upon the transverse U-shaped sectional members 12 `at the ends of the raft.

It will be noted that the bottom bulwark 16 has the.

lengthwise channel members 21 as well as the crosswise channel members 22, but the lifting pads 19 are not employed.

The lbul-werks at the bottom of the raft as shown in FIGS. 3 and 4 have the same length and Width as the bulwark 1S at the top and the lbottom bulwark 16.

The -upper deck is formed of a plurality of inverted U-cross section extruded aluminum members 35 (see FIGS. 1 and 3) which ha-ve side flanges 36 welded down to the top structural members 10.

rllhese deck members may be of extruded aluminum 3,5" x .75 x 0.94 (6062-T6).

The bottom of the raft is similarly provided with a deck formed of U-cross section members 37 having the side anges or feet 38 welded in position.

Tlhe deck is usually enclosed Within the bulwark .1.5 at the top of the raft and 16 at the bottom of the raft.

Extending through the deck is the swinging cover having a piano type hinge 40 with fa toggle pin and hasp 41.

Thedeck members are preferably aluminum extrusions of alloy 6062-T6-Alcoa 9004 Weighing 0.533 pounds per running foot. l

The channels are always turned inwardly toward the body. of the raft. f

This permits ready access to the central equipment locker 39 Iwhich may be made of aluminum and iwhich extends between and isattaohed to the top and bottom structural members 11.

Along .the sides of the raft are a series of yaluminum tanks 42fwhich Ias indicated in FIG. 3 are substantially completely filled with lblocks 43 `of `foam styrene such as Styrofoam.

This Styrofoam may have a density of two pounds maximum per cubic toot 'and should have a minimum of 1.2 pounds per cubic foot.

The tank may be formed around the poly-styrene foam core, and desirably, the sides of the tank have a double layer lof aluminum plate which is formed around the core.

If possible, instead of making the core of blocks, a single mass of foam styrene may be employed, and then Wrapped or welded Within an aluminum sheet env closure.

In one form of the invention, the body of the tank may be lformed of two sheets `of aluminum having a 14 lgauge which are superimposed on one another.

The alloy may be 3003-H14.

These aluminum casings extend along both sides of the length lof the [raft leaving the ends `of the raft open, and as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, there may be some The wrapping of the foam styrene or Iblocks of tfoam styrene in an aluminum sheet material provides permanent buoyant tanks which do not require expensive maintenance.

As many changes could be made in the above lite raft construction, and many widely different embodiments of this invention could be made without departing from the scope of the claims, it is 'intended that all matter contained in the above description shall be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense.

Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the invention, and in what manner the same is Ito be performed, what is claimed is:

l. A life raft having a long dimension :and a short dimension, said life raft comprising a plurality of aluminum rectangular frames spaced Itransverse to said long dimension, each of said rectangular frames having a top beam, a bottom beam, and two vertical side beams, a plurality. of upper and lower aluminum deck members extending in closely spaced parallel relationship along said llong dimension, each of said upper and lower deck members being channel-shaped and having outwardly directed attachment anges, the attachment flanges of said upper deck members being iixed .to said topi beams of said plurality of rectangular frames and the attachment anges of said lower deck members being 'fixed .to said bottom beams of said plurality of rectangular Iframes, top and bottom bulwarks surrounding said upper and i lower deck members and xed to Vsaid top and bottom i each `of said tanks consisting of a plurality of blocks of fou-r tanksextending between each of the vertical side memberslA. y y

Midway of the height of the four vertical side lframe members 14 'are the loops or clips 50 which carry the polyethylene life lines 51.

The ends of the raft are provided with the transverse U-cnoss 'section lbeam member 52 which has the loops 53 carrying the life line 54.

This structure is shown with the tanks yof foam styrene blocks extending along the sides thereof and with a central storage tank and with upper and lower decks mounted upon the spaced rectangular fra-me members giving a strong sturdy lightweight reliable life raft which is readily stowed, and may be floated `from either side and readily assembled.

The foam styrene filled tanks have reduced maintenance and give increased safety, and the lifting pads and shackles permit ready hoisting `oi the raft upon a deck.

The design maybe readily modified for 15, 20 or 25 foam styrene' in -abutting relationship with each other and wrapped in a thin 4aluminum sheet material.

2. A life raft in accordance with claim l, -wherein a container for provisions having .a top and a bottom is positioned approximately centrally within said raft between said plurality of ltanks extending along the sides of said raft, said plurality of upper deck members having a trap door communicating with the top of said container, and said plurality of lower deck members having a trap door communicating with the bottom of said container.

purposes.

References Cited in the `file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS I Great Britain Aug. 3, 1955 

1. A LIFE RAFT HAVING A LONG DIMENSION AND A SHORT DIMENSION, SAID LIFE RAFT COMPRISING A PLURALITY OF ALUMINUM RECTANGULAR FRAMES SPACED TRANSVERSE TO SAID LONG DIMENSION, EACH OF SAID RECTANGULAR FRAMES HAVING A TOP BEAM, A BOTTOM BEAM, AND TWO VERTICAL SIDE BEAMS, A PLURALITY OF UPPER AND LOWER ALUMINUM DECK MEMBERS EXTENDING IN CLOSELY SPACED PARALLEL RELATIONSHIP ALONG SAID LONG DIMENSION, EACH OF SAID UPPER AND LOWER DECK MEMBERS BEING CHANNEL-SHAPED AND HAVING OUTWARDLY DIRECTED ATTACHMENT FLANGES, THE ATTACHMENT FLANGES OF SAID UPPER DECK MEMBERS BEING FIXED TO SAID TOP BEAMS OF SAID PLURALITY OF RECTANGULAR FRAMES AND THE ATTACHMENT FLANGES OF SAID LOWER DECK MEMBERS BEING FIXED TO SAID BOTTOM BEAMS OF SAID PLURALITY OF RECTANGULAR FRAMES, TOP AND BOTTOM BULWARKS SURROUNDING SAID UPPER AND LOWER DECK MEMBERS AND FIXED TO SAID TOP AND BOTTOM BEAMS OF SAID PLURALITY OF RECTANGULAR FRAMES RESPECTIVELY, AND A PLURALITY OF TANKS EXTENDING ALONG THE SIDES OF SAID RAFT, PARALLEL TO SAID LONG DIMENSION, WITHIN SAID SIDE BEAMS AND BETWEEN SAID UPPER AND LOWER BEAMS, EACH OF SAID TANKS CONSISTING OF A PLURALITY OF BLOCKS OF FOAM STYRENE IN ABUTTING RELATIONSHIP WITH EACH OTHER AND WRAPPED IN A THIN ALUMINUM SHEET MATERIAL. 